Clearance Holders Disclose Salary Numbers: 5 Ways Recruiters Can Use the Data

The 2023 Security Clearance Compensation Report is here. These figures are from data collected over the last quarter of 2022, and while cleared candidates can use this as a resource during salary negotiations as they navigate what the market is currently offering in their niche, recruiters should be using it in all sorts of fashions.

five key data trends for Cleared Recruiters

Here are five key data trends from the report that recruiters should be using to their advantage.

1. Over half of the respondents received bonuses this past year.

While the industry seems to be catching up with the tech world of $50K sign-ons, if your contractor isn’t offering some type of bonus yet (I’m looking at you, small contractors), then you likely won’t be able to catch these secret squirrels where overall compensation was chosen by over two-thirds of respondents as a factor to increase their engagement and happiness at work.

2. You’re more likely to find an Army veteran.

Army veterans comprised a big part of the survey, and that should point you in the direction of where to look when you are staffing your programs. Build partnerships with TAP programs in the locations (and nearby) of where you are recruiting, join Army groups, and learn the Army language.

3. The number of respondents who now have remote or hybrid options jumped up to 53% in 2022.

In the cleared world? No way! We continue to hear about contractors offering the hybrid approach when they can for security clearance roles. If your company is in a position where they aren’t offering any type of remote work, it’s time to have a chat with your hiring managers. Show them the numbers and see if there is wiggle room in the workplace – even a 25/75 offering for telework is better than nothing, but see if the customer is willing to work with flex scheduling for the billet within a two week period.

4. Candidates offered their preferred ways for employers to make up the difference if you don’t have remote work.

These data points are complete gold if you are a recruiter trying to staff a 100% onsite position in a SCIF. But you’ll have to download the report to feast on these golden nuggets.

5. The ‘employed but no longer working in a cleared position’ category grew.

This category bumped up by 2% in 2022 and the overall respondents desiring to leave the cleared industry is the same as last year. Layoff news may cause a change of heart for these candidates, but as a recruiter, it’s important to consider past employees as a part of your candidate pipeline. While inflation and the economy may ebb and flow, we’ve seen year after year that national security is a solid, secure employer.

Overall, the report found that the magic spell to keeping employees and recruiting them in the first place is touting meaningful work, maintaining good office culture, and having steady, market value compensation to go along with it. So, bring this to your business capture team, and ensure they are pricing your future work in line with the demand of the cleared talent.